Search News

News

Dun Laoghaire's Kenneth Rumball has won a trip to Miami, USA, to sail with Abu Dhabi backed outfit Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. The 24-year-old manager of ISA Training Centre the the Irish National Sailing, Powerboat School & Club, says the chance to meet his heroes and sail on the team’s Volvo Open 70 race yacht, Azzam, in the gruelling round-the-world sailing event is a dream come true.

Hoping to follow in the footsteps of one of his heroes, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Irish bowman, Justin Slattery, a three-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran and event winner, Kenneth is relishing the chance to jump onboard and pick up some pointers from one of the sport’s toughest professionals.

“I am a massive fan of the race and given the opportunity I would love to compete in it. I am very much looking forward to meeting Justin and all the crew of Azzam as well as the Abu Dhabi shore team; this is the pinnacle of the sport and I’m sure there is so much I can learn from them,” said Kenneth.

Kenneth entered a Facebook competition run by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, which manages the Volvo Ocean Race contesting outfit, to win an ultimate VIP trip to Miami for the global sailing event’s seventh stopover from 18 until 20 May 2012.

Having landed in Miami last weekend following the round-the-world race’s sixth leg - a testing 4,800 nautical mile route from Itajai, Brazil, in which the team finished fifth - Walker and his crew now face the points-scoring In-Port Race on Saturday and the global sailing odyssey’s Leg 7 start to Lisbon, Portugal, on Sunday.